Leron Eaddy was more than ready to end his recruitment.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound linebacker/strong safety from River Hill was tiring of summer football camps, driving up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest to impress coaches in hopes of earning scholarship offers.

“My recruiting process was a pain,” Eaddy said. “So I was waiting for the right offer.”

Eaddy got his first offer, from Bowling Green, last month and Central Michigan followed suit soon after. Last week, Eaddy decided the scholarship from Central was the right offer and committed to the Chippewas.

Eaddy, who recorded 113 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions during his junior season, joins River Hill running back Malek Redd as part of CMU’s 2009 recruiting class.

While the Central Michigan coaches discovered Redd at Michigan’s camp, Eaddy was spotted at the rival Big 10 school.

“I started getting looked at by them at the Ohio State camp because there were a whole bunch of coaches,” Eaddy said. “There the coach told me to come and work out individually [at Central] and that’s when I got the offer. ... I ran a 40, did broad jump and agility. Then [defensive coordinator Tim] Banks had me do defensive back drills, test my hips and do some one-on-one drills.”

Eaddy was also introduced to the intensity of CMU head coach Butch Jones during his workout, something that stuck out in his mind while wrestling with his decision.

“I was working out and he was out on the field with me,” Eaddy said. “He wasn’t out and about. He was watching me and that made me feel real good. ... He’s just a great guy. I know that he loves his players. He’s real down-to-earth, just a guy you can talk to about anything.”

On Eaddy and Redd's visit to the Mount Pleasant, Mich., campus in late June, Eaddy was offered by the Chippewas and Redd committed. While Eaddy was immediately intrigued with the offer, he wasn’t ready to commit on the spot.

“Probably right after I got the offer [I knew I would commit],” Eaddy said. “Again, I wanted to get the recruiting process over as soon as I could, so I just decided to wait like a week, but I was set on Central Michigan the day after I got the offer.”

Over the course of that week between getting the offer and committing, Redd stepped up as CMU’s primary recruiter.

“He was just in my ear,” Eaddy said. “Just the chance to play with him [was a factor in my decision].”

Eaddy and Redd both plan to major in sports management and will likely room together. Eaddy, Redd and River Hill running back Michael Campanaro (a Wake Forest commitment), have been best friends throughout high school. Eaddy said he’s excited to share his college experience with one of his best friends, and he's hopeful that the pair can contribute to the back-to-back MAC champions’ continued success.

“It’s definitely a big thing to go to a school that’s a winning program and also have the chance to play early at a winning program.”

Click on the YouTube player for Eaddy’s junior-season highlights.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

At Isaiah Armwood’s lowest basketball-playing moment, the Villanova coaching staff was there for him.

In a January matchup between Armwood’s Montrose Christian squad and Jericho Christian, Armwood elevated to the hoop but was undercut on the way down. He landed awkwardly and could barely walk. The 6-foot-9, 195-pounder and Woodlawn native was rushed to the hospital where he received his diagnosis -- a sprained MCL.

“I was in the hospital just waiting for my results and [the Villanova coaches] actually called my phone and asked if I was OK,” Armwood said. “It was my first serious injury and I really didn’t know what to do. ... They just let me know they were there for me. [They said], ‘Keep your head up and everything. We’re here for you if you need it.’”

Armwood admitted the Wildcats were “the leaders from day one,” but the Villanova staff’s support during that difficult time stood out. He rewarded Villanova head coach Jay Wright with a verbal commitment Tuesday, picking the Wildcats over Syracuse and Texas.

“I got to know [the coaches] really well,” Armwood said. “When I was injured, they were really concerned, and I knew I could really depend on them if anything went wrong. I knew I could turn to them.”

Armwood, a four-star player and the No. 43 prospect in the class of 2009 according to Rivals.com, said he appreciated the honesty of Wright throughout his recruitment.

“He’s a good guy, a cool dude,” Armwood said. “I can relate to him on a lot of levels. If you ask him something, you might not like it, but he’s going to tell you. He’s not going to feed you a bunch of crap.”

Another attraction for Armwood was the style of play at Villanova and in the Big East, a conference he’s grown up favoring.

“I’ve always liked the Big East because they’re tough and get after it,” Armwood said. “And at Villanova they really get after it. ... They have a lot of guys leaving at the forward and guard positions. They’re going to have me everywhere on the court, the way they run their offense. I’ll be doing a little bit of everything.”

Armwood’s not playing much AAU ball this summer. He opted out of USA Basketball’s U-18 trials to focus on summer school. But he says he’s healed from his injury and ready to come back strong for Montrose Christian come fall.

“[Recruiting] was just overwhelming because I never expected my basketball would take me this far ...” Armwood said. “[Committing to Villanova means] it’s just one less thing I’ve got to worry about going into my senior year.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)
                    

Never has YouTube played a more prominent role in an athlete’s recruitment than in the case of River Hill running back Malek Redd.

Redd, who committed to Central Michigan on Wednesday, rushed for 1,300 yards and 20 touchdowns during his junior season. He followed his season up with a string of impressive combine performances. But it wasn’t until the Chippewas coaching staff took a look at Redd’s readily-available highlight reel that the 5-foot-6, 171-pounder received his first scholarship offer.

Central Michigan’s courtship of Redd began last week at Michigan’s football camp.

“When I first got to Michigan, it was a one-day camp, so we just went through stretching, working on speed, form running and circuits,” Redd said. “After that we ran 40s and my first 40 I ran a 4.27. All the coaches heard about it and they all came over to watch my second one, and I ran the same exact time.

“[After the camp the Central Michigan coaches] were talking to my stepdad, asking what my e-mail was so they could keep in contact with me,” Redd said. “[CMU head coach Butch] Jones said he was going to e-mail me the next day. As I was about to leave, he told me to check my e-mail whenever I got the chance. He hadn’t seen my highlight film yet, so I told him to go on YouTube and check out my highlight film.”

Jones exited the building, presumably to find the nearest computer with internet access. Meanwhile, Redd and his stepfather continued talking to Michigan’s recruiting coordinator. The Wolverines staff invited Redd to stay for the next day at camp, which he accepted. Then came good news from the Chippewas.

“We were still in the building and I was talking to the recruiting coach from Michigan,” Redd said. “When I was about to leave [Jones] sent his offensive coordinator down [to offer a scholarship] because he saw my highlight film [on YouTube] and he loved it.”

Redd didn’t commit immediately. He left Ann Arbor, Mich., the following day, but Central’s offer stood out in his mind. The recruitment took off from there, leading up his unofficial visit to CMU, located in Mount Pleasant, Mich., on Wednesday.

“It was a one-day trip,” Redd said. “I wanted to go visit the school. I was e-mailing the coaches back and forth. We just talked about me playing and being successful in life. He wanted me to come up and [I went there with River Hill safety] Leron Eaddy. Leron got an offer from there [Wednesday], too. We sat down in the office and were about to leave. [Jones] asked if we had any questions, and I was like, ‘I just want to accept your offer and commit to Central Michigan.’”

Redd said he was sold on Central Michigan’s recent success -- the Chippewas have won back-to-back MAC championships -- and the opportunity to contribute immediately. Redd thought Michigan might offer a scholarship soon, but he didn’t want to wait to find out.

“I like Michigan, it’s a big-name school and all that, but they have four running backs this year and they’re about my size and [have] similar [styles],” Redd said. “So I didn’t see myself getting playing time freshman year, and I want to play my freshman year.

“Coach Jones was saying I could come in and [play] right away. He was saying I could be a star player up there.”

Redd also looks forward to playing one season with Central’s star quarterback Dan LeFevour, the reigning MAC Offensive Player of the Year. LeFevour threw for more than 3,000 yards and rushed for more than 1,000 as a sophomore, becoming just the second player in Bowl Subdivision history to accomplish that feat.

“When I went up there for my visit, I met with all the coaches, talked to a few of them, and talked to the quarterback, Dan LeFevour,” Redd said. “He’s going to be up for the Heisman. Me and him talked for awhile. He was telling me how the coach really loved me and he thought I could help the program. I’ll be up there for his senior year, and we can make something happen that year before he leaves.”

For now Redd, who intends to major in sports management at CMU, can focus the rest of his summer on getting ready for his senior season. He said it’s a great relief to have found a home for the next four years.

“It feels really good,” Redd said. “You don’t have that stress. ... Last year coaches would come to the game, but it would be stressful because I didn’t want to mess up. I’m committed now, so I’m good. I can just have fun during my senior year.”

Click on the YouTube player for Redd's junior season highlights.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

All eight of Team Melo's 2008 players will continue their basketball careers next year, coach Darrick Oliver said yesterday.

“They just competed against the top competition all summer,” said Oliver, who is now working with the AAU program's 12-and-under team. “Everybody was prepared [to play at the next level]. I’m just happy and thank God for that.”

Most of Team Melo’s commitments have been written about in this space. To recap, the club’s DI signees include Towson Catholic point guard Larry Bastfield (Toledo), Cardinal Gibbons point guard Jamar Briscoe (North Carolina Central), Towson Catholic forward Brandon Greene (Robert Morris) and, of course, St. Frances shooting guard Sean Mosley (Maryland).

Additionally, Erik Etherly, who starred for Annandale (Va.) High School but made the drive up to Baltimore for AAU play, inked with Northeastern last fall.

Rounding out Team Melo’s college-bound players are Loyola guard Sal Schittino and Mount St. Joseph forward Chris Olsen, both of whom are headed to Washington College.

The final Team Melo senior, Towson Catholic guard Vinny Breckinridge, will prep for a year at The Patterson School in Lenoir, N.C.

“They were a great group of kids that I had for four years,” Oliver said, “and it was one of my most ... enjoyable [times I’ve had] with a team. I had the same kids for four years, and for all of them to go to school was great.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

The Army football program dipped into the Baltimore-area talent pool multiple times last year, signing three local prospects to its 2008 recruiting class.

Atholton linebacker/safety Geoff Easterling, Hereford running back Lonnie Liggins and Atholton running back Kelechi Odocha all signed with the Black Knights last February.

Here’s a look at how each player ended up choosing West Point.

The rival school

With his mother working at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and his grandfather an Air Force veteran, the military was always on the mind of Odocha during his childhood.

By the age of 10, Odocha had already made up his mind on where he wanted to go to college. He was sold on attending a military academy -- it just wasn’t West Point.

“I always wanted to go to Navy -- that was a dream of mine,” Odocha said. “They were talking to me and everything, but they never really called. I went to three of their games, and I was waiting for that to play out.”

Odocha, a standout sprinter for Atholton, piqued the interest of the Navy track and field coaching staff, which began recruiting him heavily. Navy’s football coaches, however, “never really responded“ to Odocha‘s interest in their program.

Meanwhile, Army began showing serious interest in Odocha. But with his mother working weekends, the five-hour drive to West Point for an official visit during the football season was out of the question. Luckily for Odocha, he was able to take an up-close look at the program before the Army-Navy game at M&T Bank Stadium in December.

“Before they played [that weekend I got to meet] all the players, and that’s when [Army wide receivers coach] Dan Baranik gave the offer,” Odocha said. “[That experience] just made me feel at home. ... It just felt like a good fit for me.”

The experience pushed West Point to the forefront of Odocha’s mind, but the opportunity to run track at Navy was still a possibility.

“The Navy coach was like, ‘you’re going through the admission board and I’ll call you back in a week.’ [I thought] if he doesn’t call back, I’ll go and commit to Army,” Odocha said. “A couple weeks later, a Navy letter shows up at the house. And it was the acceptance letter to the Naval Academy Prep School. That was my dream and my goal. It was a bummer, but I knew that if I would’ve went there it wouldn’t have been what I imagined. ... [Plus, the Navy] track coach wanted me to run ... but I really wanted to play football.”

The week after the Army-Navy game, Baranik paid Odocha and Easterling a visit at Atholton and reiterated his desire for both players to come to West Point. While Easterling needed a little more time, Odocha made his commitment -- and hasn’t doubted his choice since.

“It’s a good feeling just because for the next five years, [I’m going to play in the Army-Navy game],” Odocha said. “Hopefully we’ll come [to Annapolis] and start beating them, because I’m from Maryland and wanted to go to their school. So it’s going to be a good feeling.”

The best fit

Easterling and Odocha first met each other and became good friends at Wilde Lake Middle School. The friendship continued through high school, with both playing football and participating in Atholton’s ROTC program.

While Odocha was completely focused on a military career, Easterling became more receptive to the academy lifestyle over time.

“I did a lot of military things [growing up],” Easterling said. “I spent three summers at Valley Forge Military Academy [in Wayne, Pa.]. I did three years of ROTC and it gave me a lot of discipline. So I would never have considered myself as someone gung-ho about the military, but it’s always been around and I just became accustomed to it.”

When Army started recruiting Easterling, he was immediately interested. Lehigh eventually offered a football scholarship, Towson wanted him to walk on and Ohio Dominican gave him an academic scholarship. But the allure of West Point and playing Division I football was strong from the start.

“I was never like, ‘OK, [Army is] my top choice,’ as soon [the coaches] walked in the door,” Easterling said. “My dream school was Penn State or Clemson, all these crazy places, but it’s Division I football, so I was flattered that a Division I school was walking in the door and had something to say to me.”

Easterling, who contributed 66 tackles, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks during an injury-shortened senior season, made many of his recruiting trips with Odocha. But he took one visit to West Point without his friend. That October trip ultimately stood out above the rest.

“Kelechi and I, we went on a lot of trips together,” Easterling said. “I think there was only one time I went alone. It was after the Reservoir game, when I had hurt my knee. I went up there just to check out a game. I jacked up my knee, but they still told me I was their guy, and that’s when I told my parents [that I was thinking about committing]. They didn’t even care that my knee was messed up. They were still willing to take me on.”

While Easterling had a high level of comfort at West Point, he let Signing Day pass without inking with the Black Knights. Easterling said he just wanted to be deliberate with his decision. Four days after the date, Easterling signed his letter of intent.

“I just wanted to make sure it was the best deal for me and my family,” Easterling said. “Lehigh had offered, and a couple other places [were talking about offering]. It turned out [Army was] willing to wait for me, which made me even more comfortable with my decision.”

The right position

Liggins was the most heavily recruited of Army’s Maryland trio, but most of the attention came at a position he wanted no part of at the next level.

“A lot of people talked to me, but they wanted me to play defense and I wanted to stick with a school that strictly wanted me as a running back,” Liggins said. “Navy came, Maryland wanted me to play defensive back and I basically told them I didn’t want to play defensive back, so they didn’t come all the way through [with an offer].”

Duke and James Madison eventually offered, while Indiana and West Virginia also recruited Liggins for defensive back. But if Liggins ever had any doubts about his ability to play running back in college, they were erased last spring.

“Army [started recruiting me] after I won the Nike Penn State camp,” Liggins said. “That was like May 10. I won the running back award there. I think the week after that they called my coach and offered me.”

Liggins put together a spectacular senior season for Hereford, rushing for 1,321 yards and 23 touchdowns. His efforts earned him a spot on The Sun‘s All-Metro first team. Still, Army was the only school that remained convinced of Liggins’ potential at running back.

“I’ve been playing running back for all my life, so why would I change it?” Liggins said. “I wouldn’t be happy if I was putting all this effort into a position I didn’t want to play.”

Eventually, Liggins had to decide what mattered most to him -- playing defensive back at another DI school, or sticking with running back at Army. Liggins said he had never really considered attending a military academy, so it was a difficult decision. A visit to West Point helped alleviate most of his concerns.

“I had to kind of be sold [on visiting West Point],” Liggins said. “I kind of didn’t want to go, but my mom told me to just check it out and see how it would be. … they just never brought up the whole situation of playing defensive back and that’s what I liked. I didn’t want to play defense at all and [they never mentioned it]. They said I could do this and that, and I’d be set for the rest of my life when I graduate from there.”

Liggins was sold and committed to Army in January. Now he said he’s looking forward to getting back on the field and proving the Army coaches right by eventually making an impact at running back.

“I’m just ready to have fun and start this whole new season, meet these new kids and go up against the top competition.”

Next year

Easterling, Liggins and Odocha will spend the upcoming school year at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in Fort Monmouth, N.J., playing football, going to school and getting acclimated to the military lifestyle.

“I mean it’s just getting ready and running and lifting,” Odocha said. “Just changing my mindset from high school to learning military training and military discipline. It’s a different mindset.”

The football team at West Point Prep will play a schedule that includes matchups with Army’s junior varsity squad, Navy Prep and several other schools.

“They expect me to come from prep school and compete for the starting spot,” Liggins said. “So I’ve just got to keep in shape, do what I have to do at prep school and get it done.”

The Maryland trio will report to New Jersey by July 18 -- better known as Reception Day. That’s when the military, academic and football careers for Easterling, Liggins and Odocha will commence.

“It’s just a short summer,” Easterling said, “but it’s a small sacrifice considering I’m going to West Point and I’ll get to play Division I football next year.”

Credits: Sun photo of Kelechi Odocha by Kim Hairston; Photo of Geoff Easterling courtesy of Rivals.com; Sun photo of Lonnie Liggins by Elizabeth Malby.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Loyola shooting guard Matt Rum ended his recruitment earlier this week when he committed to William & Mary.

The 2009 prospect chose the Tribe over Towson, Radford and Boston University, according to Loyola head coach Josh Davalli.

“I think the fact that [William & Mary was] the first one to be interested [was important],” Davalli said. “Their interest hasn’t waned at all, it’s only increased, and that positively affected Matt’s decision.”

Rum, 6 feet 3, averaged about 16 points, 5.5 rebounds and two assists per game for the Dons as a junior, Davalli said.

Davalli, who played at and graduated from Towson, said he was pleased with Rum’s choice.

“I wanted Matt to make the decision for himself,” Davalli said. “William & Mary’s such a good school academically and such a good fit all around, with the style that they play. ... [It would’ve been great if] he’d been a Tiger, but I think this is a great choice -- his best choice, for sure.”

• UMBC landed an early commitment for its 2009 class earlier this month when St. Mary’s point guard Nick Groce pledged to the Retrievers.

“I think it’s a great opportunity and a great fit for him,” said St. Mary‘s head coach Brian Konik. “He’s established himself as probably the top point guard in the ‘09 class in the area. He’s an outstanding ball handler and a very good on-the-ball defender. Last year he really had a breakout year in terms of scoring. He was 44 percent from the three-point line and had several games over 20 points. ... His family wanted him to play for a winning program that’s close to home, and UMBC offers both those opportunities.”

Groce, 5 feet 10, 168 pounds, averaged 15 points, three assists and three steals per game as a junior for St. Mary’s. He led the Saints to a 20-10 record and a runner-up finish in the MIAA B Conference tournament.

According to Konik, Groce picked UMBC over interest from American, Loyola and Vermont.

David Thurston, an assistant with Groce’s AAU team, Maryland/Severna Park 3D, said Groce’s style mirrors that of current UMBC point guard Jay Greene. The opportunity to potentially replace Greene in UMBC’s lineup was attractive to Groce.

“I think he’s got very good range from 20 feet, and he’s a very smart player,” Thurston said. “He’s got north-to-south quickness and lateral quickness. He pushes the ball up the court and makes great decisions. He should become a shutdown defender at that level. He’s a unique player because he’s very good in the half-court set and very good in transition. You can play multiple styles with him and be successful.”

• Every member of the Baltimore Stars’ 2008 class will be playing basketball in college, Stars official Troy Franklin said today.

Mount Carmel point guard Troy Franklin Jr. (Towson), Loch Raven guard Jordan Lee (Coppin State), Mount St. Joseph point guard Justin McCoy (Coppin State) and Mount St. Joseph center Henry Sims (Georgetown) all made their choices months ago, but several of their Stars teammates have found homes in recent weeks.

Mount Carmel power forward Marc Anthony Franks and Aberdeen shooting guard Devon Branch have enrolled at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College.

“They’re already in Kansas, already started school,” Franklin said. “School’s going well … and they have tremendous potential.”

Franks, 6 feet 8, 225 pounds, received recruiting interest from Missouri, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Towson, Wichita State and Wyoming, while Branch, 6 feet 4, was hearing from Miami, Tennessee, Towson and Virginia Tech, according to Franklin. Franks and Branch will improve their academics at Hutchinson and play for one of the top JUCO programs in the country.

“The best option was JUCO, where they would have a good chance at earning a college degree and then moving on to a DI school,” Franklin said.

Franklin said three other Stars will play for junior college programs next year. Former Woodlawn guard Dexter Dorsey is headed to Kilgore (Texas) College, Mount Carmel guard/forward Stanford McNair will attend Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pa., and Mount Carmel guard/forward Rummell King will likely pick Laramie County Community College in Wyoming. There’s a chance King could end up with McNair at Northampton, but Franklin said LCCC is the more likely choice.

Franklin credited Mount Carmel head coach Tom Rose for his role in finding good fits for his seniors -- Franklin Jr., Franks, King and McNair.

“As far as the total package, not only as a coach on the court, but doing everything in his power from NCAA readiness and helping bring the colleges in, this guy has done a tremendous job with our kids,” Franklin said of Rose. “He’s the total package.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 1:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
                    

Four seniors from Towson Catholic’s MIAA A championship basketball team will continue their playing careers next year, coach Josh Pratt said today.

Point guard Larry Bastfield signed his letter of intent with Toledo last fall, but the Rockets went through a coaching change after the season. Stan Joplin was let go, and Notre Dame assistant Gene Cross was brought in as Joplin’s replacement.

Pratt said Bastfield met with Cross, and “everything’s good” as far as the coaching change is concerned.

Pratt said he isn’t sure if 6-foot-6 forward Brandon Greene has sent in his letter of intent yet, but his plans for next year are all set.

“He’s going to Robert Morris,” Pratt said. “[RMU head coach] Mike Rice really likes him. Brandon’s really excited for school and everything else.”

Terrell Bruce, a 6-foot-4 wing, will suit up for Missouri State University-West Plains, a junior college program that went 27-5 this season and finished the season ranked as the No. 18 NJCAA team in the nation.

“They just lost a 6’4 wing guard who’s going to Minnesota, so [Terrell’s] going to step in right away and play,” Pratt said. “I think it’s a good fit for him, as well.”

Vinny Breckinridge, a 6-foot guard, will spend the next year at The Patterson School, a prep school in Lenoir, N.C.

“[Going to prep school is] what he and his family wanted to do,” Pratt said. “I think it’s a good fit for him.”

Posted by Matt Bracken at 2:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Things are just a little different now for River Hill athlete Michael Campanaro.

After verbally committing to Wake Forest last month, Campanaro sent e-mails to all the other coaches recruiting him, informing them of his decision and thanking them for their time.

So now, when college coaches come to River Hill, a visit with Campanaro isn’t on the agenda.

“A lot of coaches come by the school and stuff, and I'm always with my buddies [safety Leron Eaddy and running back Malek Redd], but I'm not getting pulled out of class anymore because I'm already committed.”

While recruiting is over for Campanaro, one part of his life that remains unchanged since he became a Demon Deacon is his participation in any nearby combine or training camp. Last weekend, the 5-foot-10, 180-pounder squeezed two events into his busy schedule.

“First we went to Rutgers for the [Big Time] Showcase and it was pretty fun,” said Campanaro, who rushed for 1,884 yards and scored 30 total touchdowns as a junior. “We just ran a 40 and then got to do one-on-one stuff. It was fun to be out there with the lights on.

“Then Saturday I was at the Nike camp [at Penn State]. I felt like I performed very well -- it was one of my best camps.”

Campanaro ran a 4.41 hand-timed 40 at Rutgers, which wasn’t a personal best, but a satisfying time nonetheless.

“I've done better than that,” Campanaro said, “but I would say I was pretty happy with it because I've put on more weight. I'm up to 180, so [I’ve put on] probably about a good 10, 12 pounds.”

While many prospects turn out for combines to get noticed by coaches, that’s obviously not the intent for Campanaro. Instead, he uses the platform to measure his game against other top wideouts and go toe-to-toe with some of the country’s top defensive backs.

“I think [I attend the camps to] just try to make myself get better, and just compete against the top guys on the East Coast and across the nation,” Campanaro said. “I just want to keep competing to make myself better. Before I know it, I'll be playing Division I football and everyone’s going to be really good -- bigger, stronger, faster -- so it's good going up against some of the top guys in the nation.”

Campanaro, who chose the Demon Deacons over North Carolina and Northwestern among others, said making his commitment so early in the process wasn’t a difficult decision. A few visits to Wake was all it took to convince The Sun’s Howard County offensive player of the year that Winston Salem, N.C. was the place for him.

“I think after I sat down with my family, I knew what offers were coming in and what schools were looking at me,” Campanaro said. “And I figured if I had these offers from these schools, would Wake still be the school? And I thought if I had Wake and all the offers in the country, Wake would still be the school.”

Now Campanaro, who will primarily play slot receiver in college, is trying to convince other area prospects that Wake Forest could be the right school from them as well.

“I'm starting to recruit myself and get some guys interested in Wake and helping out a little bit,” Campanaro said. “I know a few Maryland guys that I'd like to come down, get them down to camp. ... And guys I see on Wake's [Rivals and Scout sites], I'll hit them up on Facebook or something to see what they're thinking.”

Before attending Wake's camp this summer, Campanaro has a few more combines on tap for the spring. He’ll also suit up for River Hill’s 7-on-7 team.

While he’s entirely focused on his senior season at River Hill, Campanaro said he’s excited to go from one tight-knit football family to another.

“Right when I committed [to Wake Forest], all the coaches and players, they kind of brought me in and welcomed me to the family,” Campanaro said. “They really pride themselves on being a family and I already feel like a part of it.”

Credit: Sun photo of Michael Campanaro by Doug Kapustin

Posted by Matt Bracken at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Mount Carmel point guard Troy Franklin made himself right at home yesterday during the Charm City Challenge at the Towson Center.

Playing on his future home court, Franklin earned MVP honors in the Baltimore All-Stars’ 107-82 win over the U.S. All-Stars. The Towson signee scored 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, and also dished out four assists in just 14 minutes of play.

“It feels good,” Franklin said. “I’m just getting used to it. ... I come up here all the time during the school year just to work out. ... It’s going to be a big change [playing for Towson next season] when you’ve got bigger, stronger and faster guards playing against you, but I’ll adapt.”

For more on the event, click here for Sun reporter Stefen Lovelace’s game story.

Click here for the City vs. County box score and here for the U.S. vs. Baltimore box score.

• Sean Mosley drew more than a few Maryland fans out to the Towson Center. Mosley has been slowed a bit by a sprained wrist, but Terps fans were still treated to 15-point, six-assist, five-rebound performance by the St. Frances guard. “I noticed a lot of red shirts and a lot of people calling my name,” Mosley said.

After next Sunday’s Capital Classic at Comcast Center, Mosley said he’ll get his wrist X-rayed -- just to be certain everything’s fine -- and then continue his preparation for next season in College Park. “[I’ll] just constantly keep working on my ball handling some more, get a lot of reps up with shooting, and [do] speed work, and that’s pretty much it.”

For more on Mosley’s play and the reaction from several Maryland fans in attendance, check out this story from TurtleSportsReport.com’s Seth Hoffman.

• Towson Catholic point guard Larry Bastfield received some surprising news last month upon hearing that Toledo head coach Stan Joplin was fired. Bastfield, who inked with the Rockets during the fall signing period, has kept a close eye on the coaching search. “Right now the word is there were a lot of people that put in for the job, like 50 people, and now it’s down to like four or five people,” Bastfield said. “An assistant coach from Notre Dame, assistant coach from Wisconsin, a guy named Buzz Peterson and a couple other people right now. They’re starting to narrow it down right now. They’re just doing interviews.”

Bastfield said Toledo’s decision to fire Joplin came as a shock to him, but he committed to the Rockets for more than just the coaching staff. Still, he’s anxious to see who gets the job. “It was more than just the coach; I went there because I really liked it and everything.” Bastfield said. “But at the same time, when there’s a coaching change, you still want to look at your options. Right now I’m just sitting and waiting to see who they’re going to hire and then I’ll go from there. When they hire the guy, I’ll want to meet the guy.”

• Cardinal Gibbons point guard Jamar Briscoe said he will sign a letter of intent next week to attend North Carolina Central, a DI independent in Durham, N.C. “I’ve been talking to them ... since basically the beginning of the school season. I verbally committed during the season but I’m going to sign a letter of intent April 14,” Briscoe said. “There were a lot of schools on me, but I wasn’t really caught up in the big school thing. Plus, I want to go someplace where I can play and hit the court running.”

Another selling point for Briscoe was North Carolina Central’s conference plans for the future, and the team’s challenging non-conference schedule. “Right now they’re independent, but by my sophomore year they’re going to be in the MEAC. ... Last year they had Duke, NC State, Davidson, schools like that. My freshman year I know we play Duke, Wake Forest, [and] we’ve got Davidson.”

• The sight of 6-foot-7, 330-pound City center James Carmon grabbing rebounds, running the floor and defending the post drew some ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from the crowd yesterday. But the defensive line prospect is completely focused on playing football at the next level. “Next year, I’ll be attending Mississippi Gulf Coast for junior college for a year-and-a-half, then I’m going to transfer to an SEC school.” Carmon, who reportedly received some interest from Maryland in football, is eyeing Tennessee as a possible destination after his stint at community college. “The area, the people, coaches, the whole staff -- they showed me love, and I think that’s probably where I’ll be attending.”

Carmon gave some thought to attending prep school, but said he thinks community college will be more beneficial for him down the road. “Prep school actually [wouldn’t] get me prepared; it [would] only get me prepared for my testing. I want to be prepared all around for just going to school so I can fit in when I go to a university.”

• Towson Catholic forward Brandon Greene was one of the more prominent uncommitted local players throughout the high school season. Greene, who averaged 17 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the MIAA A champion Owls, received recruiting interest from Akron, Duquesne and Loyola among others. But last week, Greene offered his verbal commitment to Robert Morris University, a Northeast Conference school located in Moon Township, Pa., near Pittsburgh. “They showed more interest in me than the other schools,” Greene said. “It was an easy decision.”

• St. Frances swingman Anthony Oquendo’s play during the Panthers’ run to the Baltimore Catholic League championship has piqued the interest of a couple nearby schools. “I got an offer to Loyola College, and I’m trying to see if I can get into George Mason," Oquendo said. "George Mason’s looking for a guard right now, so they’re trying to see if they can develop me as a guard.” Oquendo said he’ll work out for the George Mason staff, and then they’ll make a determination on the offer. No matter what happens with George Mason, Oquendo said Loyola, which was his first DI offer, could “be the place” for him.

• The Sun’s Howard County Player of the Year, Long Reach forward Obi Ukwuoma, is still narrowing things down in his recruitment. Ukwuoma has visits scheduled at Barton College, a DII power in Wilson, N.C., High Point University, a DI school in North Carolina, Wheeling Jesuit University, a DII program in West Virginia, Davis & Elkins College, a DII school in West Virginia, and Philadelphia University, also a DII school. “Hopefully I can get signed as soon as possible,” Ukwuoma said. “After they work me out and I take official visits, hopefully somebody sees that I’m good enough to play and they sign me.” Ukwuoma’s still waiting for his first offer.

Programming note: I’m hoping to catch up with a few more unsigned guys from the Charm City Challenge this week and next. Stay tuned for that. Also, look for a brief video of Mosley highlights later this week.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
                    

Loyola junior Leon Kinnard didn’t grow up hoping for a chance to play quarterback in college.

But when Connecticut offered him that opportunity last month, Kinnard reevaluated his collegiate goals.

“Well honestly ... I didn’t think anyone would give me the opportunity [to play quarterback],” Kinnard said. “But when UConn offered me, I felt great about the opportunity, so I just went ahead and pulled the trigger.”

Kinnard, 5 feet 9, committed to UConn last Thursday over Maryland, which offered him as a defensive back. Boston College and West Virginia also expressed interest in Kinnard as a slot receiver.

Should things not pan at quarterback for Kinnard at Connecticut, slot is an acceptable alternative.

“They said, ‘We’re bringing you in to let you play quarterback. The only way you won’t play quarterback is if you prove to us that you can’t -- then we’ll let you play on the offensive side of the ball.’ Some of the schools wanted me on defense, but I didn’t want to play defense.”

Kinnard picked up the Huskies offer in February, before ever setting foot on campus. When he did make the trip up to Storrs, Conn., he was immediately impressed.

“When I went up there, I really fell in love with the school," Kinnard said. "My mom and I thought it would be a good opportunity because they were giving me the opportunity to play quarterback. Them offering early -- it showed me I’m high on their board and they’re really interested, unlike some other schools.”

Still, Kinnard held off from committing immediately. Some encouraged him to hit the summer camp circuit in hopes of attracting additional offers. One of Kinnard’s mentors was told he’d be the kind of player to attract up to 20 scholarship offers if he waited until the summer.

But instead of earning offers just for the sake of earning offers, Kinnard decided to end the recruiting process and pick UConn last week on an unofficial visit to a Huskies practice. According to Kinnard, the UConn coaches had trouble hiding their excitement when he committed.

“[UConn head] coach [Randy] Edsall had this big smile on his face,” Kinnard said. “... Coach [Rob] Ambrose, he gave me a big kiss on the cheek and said ‘welcome to the family.’”

Kinnard, who plans to major in either kinesiology or business, said it’s a relief to have ended the recruiting process early. And he’s excited to have found a school that he thinks has a bright future.

“They’ve only been DI for six years and they’ve already won a Big East championship and they have some of best facilities in the nation,” Kinnard said. “I just think the program is up-and-coming and I want to be a part of history in the making.”

Sun photo of Leon Kinnard by Lloyd Fox

Posted by Matt Bracken at 8:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
                    

Dunbar football coach Lawrence Smith knew this was coming.

After leading the Poets to the 1A state championship last fall, Smith knew the college recruiters would come calling for his players. But did he know it would be this crazy?

“My phone bill’s been off the hook with these coaches calling,” Smith said.

Of course the main attraction to Dunbar has been running back Tavon Austin, The Sun’s All-Metro offensive player of the year.

Dunbar football coach and police officer Lawrence Smith sifts through recruiting mail with Tavon Austin last October / Sun photo by Lloyd Fox

According to Smith, Austin has picked up scholarship offers from Maryland, Boston College, Rutgers, Virginia, West Virginia, Syracuse, Penn State, Illinois and South Carolina.

Austin’s been to Junior Day events at Maryland, Penn State and West Virginia, but Smith says he’s not close to making a decision.

“Not ‘till next year,” Smith said of Austin’s timeline for picking a school. “His mom’s looking at every school closely and they’ll go from there.”

Handling the recruiting process has been a new experience for Smith, who replaced legendary Poets coach Ben Eaton after his untimely death last August. For Smith, two things have made coordinating recruiting for his players easier.

“Tavon’s really been opening up the doors for a lot of the other guys,” Smith said. “I’ve also been consulting Bob Wade a lot. He’s really helped me out a lot with this process. He’s really helped me out. But Tavon is an All-American, and like I said, Tavon’s opening doors to see other guys. Coaches, they look at his film and are like, ‘Whoa, who are these other guys?’”

Some of the other guys include wide receiver Sean Farr, quarterback Jonathan Perry, linebacker Tevin Brown and linebacker Gary Onuekwusi. All are juniors, each receiving DI interest.

Farr could be the next Poet to receive an offer.

“He hasn’t received an official offer yet, but he’s getting highly recruited by Virginia, Maryland and Syracuse,” Smith said.

There had been some talk that Perry could be brought in as an ‘athlete’ recruit, but Smith said all the talk from college coaches has been for the quarterback position.

“He’s had high recruiting interest from West Virginia,” Smith said. “He visited them for their Junior Day. Maryland has high interest in Jonathan, and also Syracuse.”

As for the two linebackers, Brown has visited West Virginia and Maryland and has been receiving interest from Syracuse, while Onuekwusi is hearing from Maryland, Syracuse and James Madison.

“There’s been really close interest in all these guys,” Smith said. “[Coaches have] told me after spring ball that a lot of these guys will probably be receiving offers.”

Until then, Smith will keep sending out film to schools, prepping for next season in hopes of defending Dunbar’s crown, and undoubtedly watching his phone bill continue to rise.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
                    

It’s been a big couple of weeks for the Dixon family.

First, Juan Dixon was traded from the Toronto Raptors to the Detroit Pistons.

Then on Monday, younger brother Jermaine Dixon, a sophomore at Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, was named to the Coaches All-Panhandle Conference first team.

Dixon, the brother of former University of Maryland standout and current Detroit Pistons player, Juan Dixon, etched his own place in TCC's basketball history this season. A native of Baltimore, Dixon became the first player to lead the Eagles in scoring (20.9), rebounding (6.7) and assists (3.6) in the same season. He also averaged a team-best 2.8 steals per game and connected on a single-season record 157 free throws.

Dixon, who played his high school ball at James Hubert Blake in Silver Spring followed by a year of prep at Maine Central Institute, committed to Pittsburgh last week. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound guard chose the Panthers over Kansas State and East Carolina, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Dixon had some Baltimore company at TCC this season. Former Northwestern point guard Jeremy Robinson averaged 6.4 points, 1.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game during his freshman season with the Eagles.

• Maryland women’s commitment Dee Liles was named to the Coaches All-Panhandle Conference first team. Liles averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds for Gulf Coast (Fla.) Community College, the No. 3 team in the country. The Commodores begin postseason play March 6 against Hillsborough Community College.

Jermaine Dixon photo courtesy of Tallahassee Community College.

Posted by Matt Bracken at 9:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)